France | Storm clouds are gathering over Bordeaux’s winemakers. Unpredictable weather patterns affecting yields, declining export volumes, and consumers drinking more beer, have forced some wine producers to uproot their vineyards. Additionally, the French government has pledged EUR 200 million (USD 215 million) to destroy surplus wine in a bid to shore up prices and support struggling producers.

France | The French prefer blondes. But they also appreciate dark, amber, and white beers. Benefiting from nearly-flat sales of wine since 2019 – due to inflation, the pandemic and climatic hazards that have sometimes disrupted production – packs of beer have settled comfortably in French fridges.

Denmark | An internal probe by the Carlsberg Group into its past dealings in Myanmar found it did invest in Myanmar in 1996 although it had publicly said it was leaving the country to join international boycotts of the military junta. The investigation was spurred by questions from the NGO “Justice for Myanmar” in April 2023.

Belgium | The brewer behind the well-known blonde beer Duvel, together with its on-premise properties, is worth almost EUR 2 billion (USD 2.2 billion), the Belgian business magazine Trends reported, referring to a recent filing by PBM Holding, the Moortgat family's holding company, which was established in 2022.

Germany | The German Brewers Association has appealed to the government and parliament to maintain the reduced VAT rate of 7 percent (previously 19 percent) for food in restaurants beyond 2023.

United Kingdom | BrewDog faced a bit of a backlash on digital media, after it began offering punters an “epic deal” on drinks in August. During happy hour at its 20 or so pubs in London a pint of Pale Ale cost only GBP 5.95 (USD 7.50).

Germany | AB-InBev’s German unit announced on 30 August that it will restructure Diebels’ workforce, which could affect half of the brewery’s workforce. Cooperating with the workers and the works council, AB-InBev Germany will make the job cuts "as socially acceptable and fair as possible", according to a statement.

Netherlands | Heineken finally sold off its Russian business for EUR 1 – about USD 1.08 – nearly a year and a half after first pledging to do so.

Russia | What a week it was. On 23 August, exactly two months after Wagner’s aborted mutiny, a plane crash killed its chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, as well as several other Wagner top brass. Three days later, Dutch brewer Heineken issued a surprise statement that it had received approval from the Russian authorities to sell its local business for the symbolic price of EUR 1.

Russia | Following the 23 August plane crash, which killed Wagner’s chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin and several other Wagner top brass, a Brauwelt International reader asked if Wagner’s brewery in the Central African Republic (CAR) is up for sale?